killing animals for Money..!!

Recently I came across an article which revealed the truth of the soft, beautiful and warm fur which is sold by designers and companies to earn more money. This business practice has been exposed and many companies have been in trouble for following that practice.

http://chinaview.wordpress.com/2007/02/24/dogs-and-cats-skinned-alive-for-their-fur-in-china/

Many countries have stopped using fur as these are made by peeling off animal skin when they are alive. The animals are immobilized due to repeated blows to their head, or by being slammed on the ground. The skinning may begin while the animal is conscious or regaining consciousness.

The fur garments are most commonly sold in the U.S., Europe or Japan for new fashionable colors and money. This article said that China has become the world’s largest exporter of fur garments in just a few years. Many of the international fur traders, manufacturers, and fashion designers have shifted their business to China, where they can exploit China’s cheap labor and the absence of restrictive animal welfare regulations.
The recent article in the economist http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10766740 stated that Animals are treated dreadfully in Chinese farms, laboratories; zoos and elsewhere. At safari parks, live sheep and poultry are fed to lions as spectators cheer. At farms and in slaughterhouses, animals are killed with little concern for their suffering.

While many stores have recognized the inherent cruelty of the fur industry and stopped selling fur, Neiman Marcus continues to operate 27 fur departments in the U.S. due to its image as a trendsetter in the fashion world.


Foot Locker, Inc., a worldwide company with more than 4,000 stores, has agreed to go completely fur-free in the wake of an ongoing fur labeling and advertising scandal in the fashion industry. In addition, Michael Kors USA, Inc., a major fashion design company, has agreed not to sell raccoon dog fur.

The results of the Human Society investigations forced some retailers to pull the coats from shelves, take them off Web sites and offer refunds to consumers. They include Nordstrom, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Burlington Coat Factory.

The fur industry is about two billion dollars annual US sales which not so significant. The question arises in my mind how ethical is to kill cows, pigs for meat and leather which is much bigger industry and has annual sales of $10 Billion sales per year?